National Counterterrorism Center
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
140px | |
Agency overview | |
---|---|
Formed | 2003 |
Preceding agency | |
Headquarters | McLean, Virginia |
Agency executive |
|
Parent agency | Office of the Director of National Intelligence |
Website | www.nctc.gov |
The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) is a United States government organization responsible for national and international counterterrorism efforts. It is based in a modern complex in McLean, Virginia, called Liberty Crossing near Tysons Corner.[1] NCTC advises the United States on terrorism.
Part of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the group brings together specialists from other federal agencies, including the CIA, the FBI, and the Department of Defense.[2]
In 2012, the United States Attorney General Eric Holder granted the agency the authority to collect, store, and analyze extensive data collections on U.S. citizens compiled from governmental and non-governmental sources for suspicious behavior through pattern analysis and to share the databases with foreign states. The effort has drawn controversy for its pre-crime effort, which has been likened to the Information Awareness Office and its proposed mass surveillance.[3][4][5][6]
Contents
History
The precursor organization of NCTC, the Terrorist Threat Integration Center (TTIC), was established on May 1, 2003,[7] by President George W. Bush by Executive Order 13354.[8] President Bush announced the creation of TTIC in his 2003 State of the Union Address. TTIC was established in response to recommendations by the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States (9/11 Commission) that investigated the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Among other things, the 9/11 Commission concluded that "none of the measures adopted by the U.S. government before 9/11 disturbed or even delayed the progress of the al Qaeda plot".[9]
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 renamed TTIC to NCTC and placed it under the United States Director of National Intelligence. It has access to various databases, including those from the NSA and the CIA, and is in charge of the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) database.[10] It also operates the publicly accessible Worldwide Incidents Tracking System database.
Activities
The center analyzes terrorism intelligence including potential domestic threat intelligence; monitors communications internationally and domestically for potential threats; generates actionable information to potentially prevent criminal acts domestically; stores terrorism information; supports U.S. counterterrorism activities using information technology (IT); and plans counter-terrorism activities as directed by the President of the United States, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council.
Goals
Its goals include providing terrorism information to the intelligence community; provide detailed lists of terrorists, terrorist groups, and worldwide terrorist incidents; support the response to terrorist incidents in the United States and worldwide; write assessments and briefings for policymakers.
After the Christmas 2009 terrorist attempt on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, the NCTC was tasked with creating a process to "thoroughly and exhaustively" prioritize terrorism threat threads; identify follow-up action by intelligence, law enforcement and homeland security; and enhance the "Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment" database, to add names to watchlists.[11]
Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment
The Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) is a database compiled by the NCTC containing over 1,200,000 identities of individuals suspected of terror links and domestic individuals of interest including the names of known or suspected terrorists as well as those affiliated.[3]
Leadership
Directors
- John O. Brennan (Interim) (2004–05)
- Vice Admiral (Ret.) John Scott Redd (2005–07)
- Michael E. Leiter (Acting) (2007–08)
- Michael E. Leiter (2008–2011)
- Matthew G. Olsen (2011–2014)
- Nicholas Rasmussen (Acting) (2014–present)[12]
Principal Deputy Directors
- Arthur M. Cummings (2004–05)
- Kevin R. Brock (2005–07)
- Michael E. Leiter (2007–08)
- Geoff O'Connell (2008–2011)
- Andrew Liepman (2011–2012)
- Nicholas J. Rasmussen (2012–present)
See also
- Director of Central Intelligence Directive
- Counterterrorism Center
- Information Sharing Environment
- Disposition Matrix
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Elliot, Phillip (January 2, 2010). "Obama says al-Qaida affiliate in Yemen apparently responsible for airliner bombing plot"[dead link]. 680 News. Associated Press. Accessed January 2, 1010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Terrorist Threat Integration Center
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ DeYoung Karen (January 7, 2010). "After attempted airline bombing, effectiveness of intelligence reforms questioned". The Washington Post.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to [[commons:Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).|Lua error in Module:WikidataIB at line 506: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).]]. |
- NCTC Website
- Office of the Director of National Intelligence Website
- NCTC News Story on Appointment of Michael Leiter and retirement of Kevin Brock
- News about new NCTC on FBI website[dead link]
- BBC News article with internal photograph
- A Comparison of the 2008 and 2012 NCTC Guidelines, WSJ
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Articles with dead external links from July 2013
- Pages with broken file links
- Commons category link from Wikidata
- Counter-terrorism
- United States intelligence agencies
- 2003 establishments in the United States
- Buildings and structures in Fairfax County, Virginia
- Counter-terrorism policy of the United States